I have been given access to some 50-odd 5x4 Glass Negatives and I need a little help in identifying what, where and when. Initially I think Silverstone, late fifties to early sixties...?

My next step is do full hi-res scans and get them burnt to CD and sent off to the curator of whichever track / manufacturer / club that we can identify and ultimately hand them over to their archives for safe and proper keeping.

No 2 appears to be David Brown in what looks like the Le Mans-winning DBR1/2 at Silverstone for some demonstration run. The body has had the fairings removed from the wheel arches since the 24-hour race, if it is, indeed the winning chassis.

Memory -testing time, chaps.
No 9; Possibly Dave? Sayer(s) in the Aberties spl, for autocross or Parkin's Lotus Cannonball. I would need to trawl through period mags for accuracy.
No 4 looks as if it might be the ex Doug Graham Lotus 15, as he raced 100MDG, but not sure of the year. Is that the car later owned by Robert Brooks proinent at an early Revival with him driving, with loose rear bodywork? A nice shot for Bill Colson's archives too.
Roger Lund

Probably from 1962 onwards as the ex works 1961 le Mans Sprite 1411 is mid-grid. It is interesting to see a couple of Spitfires, and the Speedwell GT on the pitwall, whilst ex works AH3000 XJB876 looks well onto its way modsports spec. so may date the raceRL

In photo 10 car No19 looks like one of Don Sims' Yimkins. I drove Richard Groombridge's one on ice at Brands hatch one freezing cold February day. I'm racking my inadequate brain trying to remember if the Elite 8188 MP is one I worked on at Delemare Road, and if so, whose was it - The number rings a muffled bell.

In photo 10 car No19 looks like one of Don Sims' Yimkins. I drove Richard Groombridge's one on ice at Brands hatch one freezing cold February day. I'm racking my inadequate brain trying to remember if the Elite 8188 MP is one I worked on at Delemare Road, and if so, whose was it - The number rings a muffled bell.

Jon, I suspect that the Yimkin might well be a Terrier, I thought driven by Tony Belcher, but the hat is wrong IIRC, and Tony Youlten had another marque for 1963. The Elite no has me beaten as not a regular no. to me, so possibly Adrian Chambers or Norman Surtees, - a lot of straw clutching here......... and not much progress.

Distant recall suggests that we have seen a shot of the ali-bodied pre war Ford Spl before, possibly in old archives via e bay.Roger LundBTW, Don Sim was on very fine form a few months back when I had some long conversations with him. A marvellous chap in the Len Terry mould, razor sharp and tells it as it is/was.

Roger Lund has already suggested '1962 onwards' for this one. I can't identify the race but was wondering about the pit wall. Is this the version built after Christabel Carlisle's accident, or was there an earlier, shorter raised/protective element near the start line prior to that?If the former, then presumably this photo must date from late 1963 at the earliest, although I can't remember exactly when CC spun into the open pit lane, nor when Silverstone carried out the subsequent modifications. Does anyone know?

Roger Lund has already suggested '1962 onwards' for this one. I can't identify the race but was wondering about the pit wall. Is this the version built after Christabel Carlisle's accident, or was there an earlier, shorter raised/protective element near the start line prior to that?If the former, then presumably this photo must date from late 1963 at the earliest, although I can't remember exactly when CC spun into the open pit lane, nor when Silverstone carried out the subsequent modifications. Does anyone know?

The Carlisle accident was at the British GP meet in July 1963.

I would guess this picture was taken either 1964 or 1965. It certainly looks to be a marque sports car race. I was wondering when the Healey 3000 became recognized as a Marque car - that could narrow down the possibilities.

Thanks Pete. I had read that somewhere, but then saw on Frank's website that she finished tenth in the saloon event, with no mention of her Mini being involved in an accident. Did she have a second drive that day? Sports cars perhaps? Or did she spin her Mini on the last lap of the saloon race, crossing the line in the process?Sorry for taking this OT Geoff.

Jon, I suspect that the Yimkin might well be a Terrier, I thought driven by Tony Belcher, but the hat is wrong IIRC, and Tony Youlten had another marque for 1963. The Elite no has me beaten as not a regular no. to me, so possibly Adrian Chambers or Norman Surtees, - a lot of straw clutching here......... and not much progress.

Distant recall suggests that we have seen a shot of the ali-bodied pre war Ford Spl before, possibly in old archives via e bay.Roger LundBTW, Don Sim was on very fine form a few months back when I had some long conversations with him. A marvellous chap in the Len Terry mould, razor sharp and tells it as it is/was.

I thought Terrier as a second thought, but I think the rear wheel arches are wrong, though it may well be a Terrier a bit further back on the grid - Mind you, it was 1965 when I drove it; Dunlop R5s didn't work very well on ice!

Don Sim and I had a disagreement over how to cure the terminal understeer in fast corners,on the Valkyrie's first outing at Snetterton, when it was driven by Mike Walton "What do you know, you're only 19..." I had suggested that the problem was aerodynamic, and that letting the hot air from the radiator out of the top and putting a bib under the front might cure the problem.

The Yimkin had unusual front suspension, the bottom of the spring-damper unit was on the lower wishbone adjacent to the lower trunnion in the usual fashion, but the top mount was towards the inboard end of the upper wishbone and therefore rose with the movement of the suspension which presumably led to a progressive lowering of the spring-rate on bump.

Thanks Pete. I had read that somewhere, but then saw on Frank's website that she finished tenth in the saloon event, with no mention of her Mini being involved in an accident. Did she have a second drive that day? Sports cars perhaps? Or did she spin her Mini on the last lap of the saloon race, crossing the line in the process?Sorry for taking this OT Geoff.

Yes, she drove in what I think was the last race of the day - Sports/GT cars - and she was in an Austin Healey Sprite.

I'm still trying to process the puzzle that is motor-racing photos taken on a view camera that used 5 x 4 glass plates - I can just picture a man beside the start line with a black cloth draped over his head trying to focus on a rapidly departing John Whitmore; either that or looking through the wire frame of a Thornton-Pickard press camera...

I'm still trying to process the puzzle that is motor-racing photos taken on a view camera that used 5 x 4 glass plates - I can just picture a man beside the start line with a black cloth draped over his head ...

Probably from 1962 onwards as the ex works 1961 le Mans Sprite 1411 is mid-grid. It is interesting to see a couple of Spitfires, and the Speedwell GT on the pitwall, whilst ex works AH3000 XJB876 looks well onto its way modsports spec. so may date the raceRL

Without any 1960s Autosport/Muttering Screws to hand I'm relying on memory but I think this Silverstone pic dates from circa 1966/67 given the flared rear arches, the width of the tyres, what seem like widened and welded steel rims and perhaps it is the car raced by Stewart Hands in period.

In photo 10 car No19 looks like one of Don Sims' Yimkins. I drove Richard Groombridge's one on ice at Brands hatch one freezing cold February day. I'm racking my inadequate brain trying to remember if the Elite 8188 MP is one I worked on at Delemare Road, and if so, whose was it - The number rings a muffled bell.

Jon, I suspect that the Yimkin might well be a Terrier, I thought driven by Tony Belcher, but the hat is wrong IIRC, and Tony Youlten had another marque for 1963.

While we have the Silverstone brains sharpened, I hope original poster Geoffd won't mind if I cheekily slip in a couple from my late father's treasure trove. I thought at first his grid shot was from the same race as Geoff's #10, but it clearly isn't. Maybe a 750 MC gathering? The paddock shot is from the same meeting - wish we had such varied support vehicles now, including an Austin A40 Sports with glamorous attendant. The date is 1958, if the note on the envelope of prints is to be trusted (not guaranteed!).

Looking through those results I see there were two entries from the RAF MotorSport Association. The first for McKenzie, the second for J. C. Brown. I wonder if this was the same Flt Lt John Brown who featured in the thread on the Veritas BMW at Oulton Park

No 22 possibly Tom Leake in the Zagato, (or Salmon in Leake's? car), not checked, and certainly Jack Lambert in the grey works prepped E type , like the Robin/Clarke Sturdgess car 2BBC and the one raced by JYS. Modified nose of the SP250 should help to identify it.
Roger Lund

I'm still trying to process the puzzle that is motor-racing photos taken on a view camera that used 5 x 4 glass plates - I can just picture a man beside the start line with a black cloth draped over his head trying to focus on a rapidly departing John Whitmore; either that or looking through the wire frame of a Thornton-Pickard press camera...

Tell your driver chaps I am ready when they are, Mr Starter............copyright Wolf Suschitsky, which I found on a brilliant photo websiteClick on image for larger viewRoger Lund

Many thanks. A rescan in a higher res might help with some details on certain cars. Some are straightforward enough, JC in the Lotus, Pat Lindsay, I suspect, in the Napier Railton, Ireland guesting in the 156, a well known angle/shot from that race, understeering, with an inside wheel lifting in others' shots ISTR. etc. Is this a Ferrari 500/625 in which case is it D Sievewright, the only name I can recall in that period with one?.Roger Lund

Many thanks. A rescan in a higher res might help with some details on certain cars. Some are straightforward enough, JC in the Lotus, Pat Lindsay, I suspect, in the Napier Railton, Ireland guesting in the 156, a well known angle/shot from that race, understeering, with an inside wheel lifting in others' shots ISTR. etc. Is this a Ferrari 500/625 in which case is it D Sievewright, the only name I can recall in that period with one?.Roger Lund

Would that be Ian Sievwright, Roger? I remember him driving a Ferrari at one of my very first Silverstone meetings in 1964 or 1965.